“El Anatsui z wn v ɖ most xîtñ cntmprri vižl ātists v âr tîm. Imrjñ fṛm ɖ vîbṛnt pôst-indipndns ātmuvmnts v 1960z n ’70z West Africa, h hz gn on t rsiv wîdspred inṭnašnl aclem fr hiz sculpčṛl xperimnts wɖ mīdia, fwm n tṛdišn. Octobr Gaḷri hz bn wrcñ clôsli wɖ El Anatsui sns 1993.
Ʈrt a dstnĝst forti-yir c̣rir az bʈ sculptr n tīčr – az Pṛfesr v Sculpčr n Dīpātmntl Hed at ɖ Ynivrṣti v Nîjiria, Nsca – El Anatsui hz adrst a vast renj v sošl, ṗlitcl n historicl cnsrnz, n imbrest an īqli dvrs renj v mīdia n prôsesz. Mcñ ys v tūlz az dvrs az čênswz, weldñtwčz n pârtūlz, az wel az dveḷpñ a renj v prôsesz sč az ɖ intric̣t n medittv sowñ prôses v hiz lêtr wrc, h hz šêpt fând mtirı̣lz ɖt renj fṛm casava grêtrz, rêlwêslīprz, driftwŭd, ayņêlz n običri printñplêts, aḷmiňm botltops, ets. t criet a wîd vrayti v novl sculpčṛl fwmz. El Anatsui’z îconic botltop insṭlešnz hv pṛvoct a frenzi v inṭnašnl atnšn btwn 2002 n ɖ preznt, wɖ instityšnz qwñ t aqîr ɖz mezṃrîzñ wrcs. Crietd fṛm mni ʈâzndz v aḷmiňm botltops wîrd tgɖr wɖ copr, ɖz magnifisnt wōlsculpčrz cntiny t xît n amez ōdı̣nsz ẇrvr ɖe r xibitd. Hiz sculpčrz hv bn c̣lctd bî mêjr inṭnašnl myziymz, includñ ɖ Britiš Myziym, Lundn, ɖ Sẽtra Põpidu, Paris, ɖ D’Yuñ Myziym, San Fṛnsisco, ɖ Smiʈsôňn Instityšn, Wošñtn, ɖ myziym Cnst Palast, Düsldwf, n mni uɖr prestijs instityšnz bsdz.

Wn v El Anatsui’z šimrñ botltop wōlhaññz, Freš n Fêdñ Memriz (2007), cōzd a qayt sensešn ẇn, jrñ ɖ 2007 Venis Bienāle, it trnsfwmd ɖ historic Palatso Fwtūni ẇn drêpt upn its âtr fsād. At ɖ Dbî Ātfer, 2010, Octobr Gaḷri prizntd anɖr lj-scêl mastrpìs – In ɖ Wrld, bt D’nt nô ɖ Wrld (2009) – t grt aclem, n ɖ wrcs hv cntinyd t xpand in sîz, v lêt, n hv bn yzd t adwn ɖ âtsd wōlz v verı̣s myziymz n gaḷriz arnd ɖ wrld. Ɖz ljr xtrnl insṭlešnz includ: Ôzônleyr n Yam̦and on ɖ Old Našnl Gaḷri v Brlin (2010), Brôcn Brij I, on ɖ Mze Gałera, Paris (2012), Brôcn Brij II on ɖ Hî Lîn, Ny Ywc, (2012/13) n TSIATSIA – srčñ fr cnẋn (2013), El Anatsui’z ljst botl-top wrc t dêt. Ɖs šimrñ taṗstri v lît imbelišt ɖ fsād v ɖ Royl Acaḍmi v Āts, Lundn, jrñ its 245ʈ Suṃrexibišn.
In an inṭvy wɖ Octobr Gaḷri, El Anatsui nôtd, Ɖ amezñ ʈñ abt wrcñ wɖ ɖz mtalic ‘fabrics’ z ɖt ɖ poṿti v ɖ mtirı̣lz yzd in no we pricludz ɖ telñ v rič n wundrfl stwriz.”

size variable. Photo: Jonathan Greet
Continue reading EL ANATSUI │ October Gallery, London → 28 March 2015